Honorary degree citation - Jean-Paul Morin*

By: Danielle Morin, December 2003

Mr. Chancellor, I have the honour to present to you Mr. Jean-Paul Morin, founder of LaSalle College.

Born in Montreal on August 20th, 1920, Mr. Morin showed an early interest in fashion. At the age of 10, he is said to have held his first fashion show, using paper dolls and cutouts from magazines. By 30 years of age he had already become a prominent figure in the local fashion retail markets, by 50 he was the owner of his own fashion school.

A colleague at Fashion Craft proposed that Mr. Morin open a commercial college. Mr. Morin took the plan to heart. He proceeded to tour Quebec and the rest of Canada, analyzing establishments to determine their strengths and weaknesses.

Since its inception in 1959 as a commercial college, LaSalle has grown both in its scope and in its presence on the international educational scene. It now welcomes students from 21 countries at 50 campuses in Vancouver, Montreal, China, Singapore. Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Columbia, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Turkey and France.

To say that this success is partly due to the efforts of Mr. Morin is to commit a gross understatement. Mr. Morin can categorically and without question be named as the driving force, the imagination and the will, behind LaSalle College.

Mr. Chancellor, on behalf of Senate and the Board of Governors, it is my privilege and an honour to present to you Mr. Jean-Paul Morin, so that you may confer upon him the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa.